Russia not a mediator in resolving Pakistan’s ties with India, Afghanistan: MFA

Moscow, Feb 2 (PTI):  Russia on Monday said that it is not a mediator in resolving Pakistan’s tensions with India and  Afghanistan, adding that it is ready to provide any assistance if requested.  The Foreign Ministry has posted answers to several questions received for Sergei Lavrov’s annual press conference on January 20, which could not be given by the Minister due to time constraint.  In response to a question on how Russia see the role of a mediator in reducing tensions in relations between Pakistan, India and Afghanistan? The Russian Foreign Ministry said on its webportal, “Russia does not act as a mediator between the aforementioned states.” “However, we are always ready to provide any assistance we can in resolving any differences between these countries should they so request,” it added.  Moscow has been insisting that Islamabad should resolve its problems in the spirit of the 1972 Simla and 1999 Lahore declarations bilaterally.     In response to the question: How does Russia assess its strategic and economic relations with Pakistan, particularly in the areas of energy, trade, and projects to establish regional connections?   The MFA said that in 2025, a number of important bilateral meetings took place at the leadership level of Russia and Pakistan, including a meeting of President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the SCO summit in China.    “This density of political contacts undoubtedly reflects the desire of both countries to expand mutually beneficial cooperation,” it added.    On the economic front, the most important event of 2025 was the 10th meeting of the Russian-Pakistani Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation.  The MFA said that among the promising projects being developed are the restoration of the Karachi metallurgical plant built with Soviet assistance, cooperation in pharmaceuticals (specifically, insulin production), and the organisation of trial transcontinental freight transport within the International North-South Transport Corridor.

A Programme for the Development of Trade and Economic Cooperation between Russia and Pakistan until 2030 is expected to be adopted, it added.

  Possibilities for Russian companies to participate in oil and gas projects in Pakistan, as well as for arranging domestic energy supplies, are being explored. Several Russian regions, including the Republic of Tatarstan and Primorsky Krai, are interested in developing direct cooperation with Pakistani provinces, it said.  PTI VS RD RD

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